Does the thrill of buying a new item of clothing last longer when you buy second hand?
Which makes you feel better? Buying brand new or New-to-You?
I'm Dr Carolyn Mair, a cognitive psychologist working in the fashion industry, and I’m thrilled to say that Oxfam teamed up with me to deep dive into how our shopping habits make us feel.
Oxfam

How soon does the thrill of buying a new item of clothing fade?
“Nearly a quarter of us say the thrill lasts longer when we buy second hand.”
Dr Carolyn Mair, cognitive psychologist, UK
Oxfam’s study of 2,000 adults revealed...
How many people look for bigger savings on clothes?
How can people make the thrill of buying new clothes last longer?
How can we get a buzz from retail therapy without buying brand new?

“Fortunately we can achieve a positive outcome - by giving our clothes meaning, buying what we know we will love for a long time, caring for our clothing once we have it, and not only buying brand new. Engaging with fashion this way has the same positive effect on the brain as buying brand new, and it's also better for the environment. Preloved fashion can make us feel just as happy as a brand-new item would as it would be ‘new to me’.”
Dr Carolyn Mair, cognitive psychologist, UK
As good as new
Why shopping at charity stores like Oxfam makes us feel good and do good
How does buying new fashion make consumers feel?
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– Clothing has the fourth-largest impact on the environment after housing, transport and food. It results in almost £140 million worth of clothes being thrown away each year. The majority of these end up in landfill.What’s more, a staggering one-third of UK landfill clothes (£30 billion worth of them, or £4,000 per household) haven’t been worn for a year or more.So read on for some top tips from green cleaning company Bio-D. Tips that will help you to buy and look after clothes you love without compromising the planet.

Take part in Oxfam's Second Hand September. Shop second hand and donate clothes to Oxfam.

– We’re thrilled to announce that you can now donate your clothes to Oxfam by post, for free, with DPD.